Tune in to Channel 4 News this evening at 7pm – there’s an exclusive report on the continued killing of birds of prey in the UK with a particular focus on two new cases.
You do not want to miss this programme. [Update: link to programme now added to foot of this blog]
The report will be led by veteran correspondent Alex Thomson, who has previously reported robustly on raptor persecution crimes (see here and here).
Alex is known for not pulling his punches so standby for a furious response from the game shooting industry, just as they responded last time (here).
The timing of this news report also probably explains why the Moorland Association published its pathetically cynical piece yesterday about hen harrier survival rates, in the hope of grabbing a few favourable headlines while they can, although they failed to mention that over half of the brood meddled hen harriers that they claim are doing so well are either missing in suspicious circumstances or have been confirmed illegally killed. Funny that.
This evening’s Channel 4 news report will be followed up tomorrow by the publication of the RSPB’s latest Birdcrime report.
UPDATE 21.30hrs: Channel 4 News reports two thirds of raptor persecution crimes in 2022 linked to shooting estates (here)
Raptor Persecution UK 
Damn! Missed it:-(
[Ed: link available here: https://raptorpersecutionuk.org/2023/11/23/channel-4-news-reports-two-thirds-of-raptor-persecution-crimes-in-2022-linked-to-shooting-estates/ ]
Makes me so angry and upset. Met Alex when he came to langholm to do a piece on the community buyout. Big fan of C4 News. It was so wonderful to watch the harriers there and now they are getting golden eagles from the South of Scotland golden Eagle project. These people must be stopped from killing our birds, and they are our birds. Leave them alone